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      I’ve gone from non-league to the top flight in just ten months ahead of my Premier League debut this weekend

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      LEWIS Smith will complete a remarkable refereeing story on Saturday as he leaps from the National League to the Prem in just 10 months.Smith, 30, will become the youngest rookie ref in the top flight since Michael Oliver, who was 25 when he made his bow in 2010.
      Lewis Smith has leaped from the National League to the Premier League in the space of ten monthsCredit: Rex
      Smith is the youngest rookie ref since Michael Oliver in 2010Credit: Rex
      But the Wigan whistler has been catapulted through the ranks from the fifth tier to taking charge of Fulham’s clash with Aston Villa.
      Smith had his first EFL appointments last season but was still taking charge of National League matches until April.
      He was then promoted to the EFL full-time panel at the start of this season, making his Championship bow when he took charge of Plymouth’s game with Swansea in October.
      Smith will become the fifth new refereeing face in the Prem this season after Sam Allison, Sam Barrott, Josh Smith and Rebecca Welch.
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      But his rapid rise is viewed as a positive result of both his performances and the ability of refs’ chief’s Howard Webb’s development group to identify the cream of the next generation of officials.
      Smith’s career began in September 2016 when he led the U18 Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton.
      He would remain taking charge the lower and youth divisions before making his way to the FA Cup first-round between Banbury and Canvey Island the 2020-21 season.
      Then in the 2022-23 season Smith led one Championship clash against Watford and Stoke City plus five games in League One and seven in League Two.
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      Now this term the Englishman has officiated four FA Cup and three EFL Cup games for Championship teams.
      Saturday at Craven Cottage will mark his 198th match in the role as Smith looks to become a regular in top-flight English football.
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      Sam Barrott is the only other 30-year-old to take charge of a Premier League match this season.
      While Rebecca Welch became the first woman to referee a Premier League match – officiating Fulham and Burnley in December last year. More

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      Sheffield Wednesday boss surprised he could field £40k-a-week Premier League star after snubbing him from squad

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      NEWCASTLE loanee Jeff Hendrick was left off Sheffield Wednesday’s 25-man EFL registered squad, but still played in an FA Cup game. Hendrick was back on the pitch in last week’s FA Cup match against Coventry, which Wednesday lost 4-1. 
      Danny Rohl left Newcastle loanee Jeff Hendrick off the registered squad listCredit: PA
      The former Newcastle star managed to actually get some minutesCredit: Getty
      Hendrick joined Wednesday at the start of the season after falling out of favour at St James’ Park.
      In January he reportedly asked to terminate his loan spell at Hillsborough but the request was refused.
      Manager Danny Rohl explained Hendrick’s latest appearance on the pitch, saying he was surprised to discover that players left off the EFL squad registration list can still play in cup games. 
      Speaking to The Star, Rohl said: “He played some minutes in the cup which was good.
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      “There is a learning also from my side that you have an FA Cup list and a league list.” 
      He went on to explain why Hendrick had originally been left out of the squad, saying: “We have seven loans and so we have to make decisions, this is part of the reason why.”
      As the rules stand, a club can only register five loanee players and Hendrick did not make the cut. 
      Rohl then said it wasn’t all over for the player, adding: “He is still involved and I think maybe when I look to the next 15 games it could be that he is helpful. 
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      “He has trained, he is professional. 
      “All of my players have taken the situation how it is. 
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      “This is not normal, when I compare this to my stations before, you have players who are disappointed and they show this. 
      “But my group is fantastic, it is outstanding what they are doing. 
      “It’s great to see.”
      Wednesday will play Championship leaders Leicester tomorrow in their bid to move out of the relegation zone. More

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      Man Utd cult hero boss says he wants to ‘kill’ Championship stars after they decide penalty taker with bizarre game

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      MARK ROBINS joked that he wanted to “kill” two of his players after an on-field game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who took a penalty.Coventry were a goal down to Millwall in their 2-1 win on Sunday when they were awarded a spot-kick on 67 minutes.
      Coventry stars Haji Wright and Callum O’Hare decided on a penalty taker by playing rock, paper, scissorsCredit: Rex
      With regular taker Matty Godden on the bench, it was a choice between Haji Wright and Callum O’Hare and the duo played their little game to settle it.
      In the end, Wright stepped up to coolly slot home after being fouled by Japhet Tanganga.
      That took the American into double figures for the season and he grabbed the winner three minutes later as the Sky Blues moved back into the top six.
      Boss Robins was less than pleased with the way the taker was chosen. He said: “Rock, paper, scissors? I’m going to kill them. I’ll be talking to them about it.
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      “It’s about who’s confident about taking the penalty. Haji was a regular penalty taker when he played in Turkey. He’s really decent but it’s who fancies it.
      “So when you get involved like that, it puts doubt in somebody’s head. The good thing is they both wanted it. But it needs to be a little bit more scientific than that.
      “They are brilliant lads, sort it out among yourselves, I’m not going to get involved in every bit of micro-management. But I still want to kill them!”
      Millwall have not won in five games now but took the lead through home-grown teenager Romain Esse after 12 minutes.
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      He was making only his second start of the season after 27 substitute appearances.
      And he scored for the first time since the opening day of the season when he collected a Zian Flemming ball and fired home with a deflection off Luis Binks.
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      But Coventry have only lost once at home in 22 games and Wright completed their second-half comeback with a 70th-minute strike.
      The Lions had enough chances early on to have sealed the points long before, which left boss Joe Edwards frustrated.
      He said: “We constantly have lots of games where there was a lot to be pleased with.
      “But we got the goal our start deserved, then had an opportunity to get the second which would have relieved the stress on our defence.
      “The problem for us is that it’s a recurring theme, we haven’t won since New Year’s Day.” More

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      Coventry star explains celebration ‘mix-up’ and begs fans not to see it as ‘offensive’ after now-deleted post

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      COVENTRY CITY star Milan van Ewijk has moved quickly to explain the “mix-up” over his “offensive” celebration against Millwall.The Sky Blues came from behind to beat the Lions 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday.
      Coventry City’s Milan van Ewijk was involved in a controversial celebration photographCredit: PA
      The star was trying to copy Haji Wright’s popular celebration while also referencing Mario KartCredit: Coventry City FC
      Romain Esse gave Millwall a 12th-minute lead but a quickfire double from Haji Wright after the break secured them the points.
      However, Coventry and their 23-year-old Dutch full-back received some unwanted attention after moving up to sixth in the Championship table.
      Following the full-time whistle, a photograph of Van Ewijk was posted on Coventry’s Instagram page.
      However, it soon caught the eye as it appeared to show him saluting with one hand while gesturing a moustache with his finger.
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      Fans quickly jumped into the comments as they alluded to the sinister connotations of the snap.
      That led to Coventry deleting the post after Van Ewijk had moved to clear up the storm with a comment of his own.
      He wrote: “I got two celebrations mixed.. please don’t see this as offensive.”
      Another post was then shared instead of it with different celebration photos, which the former Heerenveen ace replied to with: “Yeah, that’s a better pic.”
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      A Coventry spokesperson told SunSport: “Milan’s celebration was in regard to the gaming character ‘Mario’.
      “Members of the Coventry City squad have been playing Mario Kart between themselves, which has started a friendly rivalry amongst the squad, as seen in our behind-the-scenes videos and recent celebrations at Norwich.
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      “Milan was putting his hand above his mouth to symbol Mario’s moustache from the video game.
      “He also was raising his arm, copying the popular celebration his team-mate striker Haji Wright has done throughout his career.
      “The club saw how the photo could be perceived without the context behind it, and as Milan quickly commented to clarify this, therefore the image was deleted.”
      Prior to the game, Sky Blues scorer Wright spoke about how Van Ewijk was “big on celebrating”.
      The USA international said: “He’s a fun guy to be around. A lot of jokes and a lot of fun.
      “He’s a good player as well so he does make it easier for us.”
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      Van Ewijk arrived at Coventry from Eredivisie outfit Heerenveen last summer for £3.5m.
      He has made 29 appearances for the club so far, scoring twice, and is expected to be part of Mark Robins’ line-up when they travel to Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday. More

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      My dad is a Premier League cult hero.. now I’m following in his footsteps playing for club who adored him

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      A MALIAN international who starred in the Premier League is now watching on proudly as his son follows in his footsteps at his former club.Former midfielder Mamady Sidibe, 44, was a huge favourite at Stoke City after previously playing for Swansea City and Gillingham.
      Mamady Sidibe was a huge fan favourite at Stoke City under Tony PulisCredit: PA:Press Association
      Now his son Sol is playing for the Potters after graduating from their academyCredit: Getty
      After being signed in 2005, he went on to become a key player for the Potters under Tony Pulis.
      Sidibe, who was capped 14 times for his country, appeared to love life at Stoke and settled down roots there for the long-term during his eight years at the club.
      He played over 250 times, scoring 24 goals, in the league and celebrated promotion to the Premier League with them in 2008.
      After loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Tranmere Rovers, he left Stoke in 2013 for a brief spell in Bulgaria with CSKA Sofia.
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      The following year he retired from football and along with Bineta, his wife, he opened a patisserie in the Potteries Shopping Centre near to Stoke.
      But these days there is another Sidibe making a name for themselves at his father’s former stomping ground.
      Mamady’s son Sol penned a long-term deal with Stoke last summer after turning pro and impressing on the pre-season training camp in Costa Blanca.
      He was born in 2007, right when his dad was helping the club to promotion from the Championship, and joined their academy at the age of eight.
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      And his progress was rewarded at the start of the season when the ace, who turned 17 on Saturday, signed his three-year contract.
      Speaking at the time, Sol said: “It is a really proud moment for me and my family.
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      “I know this is a football club where you can earn the opportunities to progress.
      “I have enjoyed – and been grateful for – the chance to play for the Under-21s and be in the first team environment in recent times.
      “My immediate focus is on training hard and preparing myself for the new season but, of course, my long-held ambition is to represent the first team and that is what I will be giving my all to achieve.”
      Despite his young age, Sol has gone on to achieve that dream already this season.
      He came off the bench during Stoke’s 4-1 victory over Rotherham on the opening day of the Championship season to make his senior debut.
      And he has gone on to make six further appearances for the club, including outings in both the League Cup and FA Cup.
      However, it is not only at club level that he is catching the eye.
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      Despite his African heritage, Sol has already represented England on the international stage.
      He made his debut for the U17s in a 3-2 defeat to Portugal in September and has gone on to add another cap to his collection since.
      Sol made his senior debut this season and has appeared a further six timesCredit: Getty More

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      Hippy crack footballer’s transfer breaks down after more clubs start testing aces for laughing gas

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      TOP football clubs have started testing players for nitrous oxide use, with a growing number addicted to the “laughing gas” drug.Teams are noticing huge differences in the expected lung capacity of players and how they can actually perform.
      One footballer saw his transfer collapse after signs that his nervous system was ravaged by his use of laughing gas was found (stock image)Credit: Getty
      Top football clubs have started testing players for nitrous oxide useCredit: Alamy
      One player set to sign for a ­second-tier Championship club saw the deal collapse after doctors carrying out his medical discovered signs that his nervous system was ravaged by his use of the gas.
      The revelations come days after The Sun revealed that a Premier League star was in rehab for addiction to nitrous oxide, also known as “hippy crack”.
      His usage came to light when a car he was travelling in was stopped by police who found dozens of canisters.
      His family alerted the club and a medical intervention was made.
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      Dozens of Premier League stars, including England internationals, are known to be regular users of the drug — with many wrongly believing that it is harmless.
      But long-term use can reduce the body’s levels of Vitamin B12 — essential for nerve function.
      It was criminalised last November in a government crackdown and is now a Class C drug, in the same category as cannabis.
      One Prem player spent £10,000 on laughing gas canisters for a recent birthday party. And now clubs are testing for nitrous oxide abuse when carrying out medicals.
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      A source said: “One player was massively addicted. He was with a club and during a fitness test they said the nerves in his legs were f****d.
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      “He admitted he was doing loads of balloons and they got rid of him.
      “His agent got him into another club for a trial and they were keen to sign him.
      “But when they carried out his medical they basically said ‘You’re an addict’ and ended their interest. He’s now without a club.”
      Other players have been questioned by medical teams after their legs twitched uncontrollably while they were being treated for other injuries.
      Another source said: “It’s an absolutely massive problem, which clubs are only just starting to understand and get a grip on.
      “Players think they can get away with it because it doesn’t show up in drug tests and until recently it wasn’t illegal, but some are addicts and it’s having a hugely negative effect on their health and their careers.”
      In 2022 doctors warned they were seeing increased numbers of patients with neurological injuries caused by laughing gas including spinal cord and nerve damage.
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      Sport science professor and former FA performance head John Brewer warned of the impact that it could have on players.
      He said of the drug: “If you’re a top-level footballer trying to make skilful movements and pass a ball effectively, you don’t want your nerves to be damaged in any way because you need that peripheral ability to sense movements.”
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      A PREMIER League rising star has been fined after he was caught inhaling laughing gas while driving.
      Man City defender Jamal Baptiste, 20, remained stationary at traffic lights in his VW Polo for about a minute after they turned green.
      He was seen inhaling the balloons with a pal in Dagenham, East London, on July 7 last year.
      He pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was given six penalty points and a £1,000 fine by magistrates at Bromley, South ­London. He also had to pay a £400 victim surcharge plus costs of £110.
      It comes a week after The Sun revealed that a Premier League star was receiving rehab treatment for addiction to nitrous oxide.
      Baptiste is a former West Ham ­centre-back once billed as the next Rio Ferdinand by the club’s former striker Carlton Cole.
      Last May the club reportedly offered Baptiste a new deal but slashed his wages due to issues off the pitch.
      He moved to Man City on a free transfer in September. He is described on the club website as “an athletic and technically gifted defender who featured twice for West Ham while representing England at youth level.” More

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      Sheffield Wednesday look to capitalise on deadline day paperwork error to secure transfer of MLS star

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      SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY will make a new Duncan McGuire bid if they stay in the Championship.The Orlando striker, 23, flew in from the USA for talks with the Owls on the last day of the window, but then opted for Blackburn instead.
      Sheffield Wednesday will come back for Orlando City star Duncan McGuireCredit: Getty
      Blackburn almost signed McGuire during the January transfer windowCredit: Getty
      That deal collapsed after a paperwork error and McGuire is back in the MLS — but Wednesday and Blackburn are still keen.
      Rovers owners Venky’s, meanwhile, held a summit at which it was expected chief exec Steve Waggott would get the axe — but he survived.
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      This comes after the Championship side sold star man Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace on deadline day following a £22million deal.
      The Rovers hierarchy explained the situation with a lengthy statement.
      It read: “Duncan McGuire’s proposed loan move to Blackburn from MLS side Orlando City has not been approved by the EFL to date due to the registration documents being submitted after the 11pm transfer deadline.
      “All of the necessary signed paperwork had been completed prior to 10pm on Thursday February 1st, however due to an administrative error, the forms were not processed within the prescribed time.
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      “Detailed discussions with legal representatives and the relevant football authorities have taken place over the past few days to try to reach an urgent and positive resolution to the matter.
      “The club’s lawyers have prepared the required papers and sent to the EFL Board, who will consider the case on Thursday February 8th.
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      “Orlando City have allowed McGuire to remain in the UK, pending the EFL Board’s decision.
      “He will return to the United States, where he will re-join his club ahead of the start of the 2024 MLS season, should his registration not be approved.
      “Should the appeal be refused then Blackburn will attempt to reach a pre-contract agreement with Orlando City over the coming weeks to enable the player to officially join the club on a permanent basis when the 2024 summer transfer window opens.” More

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      ‘S***house’ ex-Premier League star scores ‘elbow of God’ then rubs it in opponents’ faces with shameless celebration

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      PATRICK BAMFORD appeared to score with his elbow as Leeds thrashed Rotherham 3-0.The former England star has been back amongst the goals in recent weeks and put Leeds ahead in the tenth minute.

      Patrick Bamford appeared to elbow the ball into the back of the netCredit: Youtube / LeedsUnited
      The striker swung his arm towards the ball to divert it beyond Viktor JohanssonCredit: Rex
      Bamford cheekily celebrated by sticking out his elbowCredit: PA
      Daniel Farke’s side worked the ball well down the left side as Junior Firpo centred the ball.
      The ball popped up after coming off a Rotherham toe so Bamford had to adjust as he tried to poke home from close range.
      He attempted to chest the ball in and flung out his elbow, though it was not clear if he made contact with his arm.
      However the striker then celebrated by jumping with his elbow outstretched, much to the joy of Leeds fans.
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      One reacted saying: “My s***house.”
      Another added: “Go on Paddy lad.”
      A third wrote: “Bamford take a bow son.”
      And another commented: “Maradonna would have been happy with that goal.”
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      Even the Leeds Twitter account got in on the act as the Whites proudly tweeted out the goal with the caption: “They all count!”
      Rotherham boss Leam Richardson fumed after the match as he claimed the goal should not have been allowed to stand.
      He said: “It’s a blatant handball. It’s a tough place to come to anyway and if you get decisions like that going against you then you’re up against it.
      “It should have been an easy decision for the referee to disallow it.
      “I thought we started the match terrifically well. We took the game to them. But then a big decision went against us and it was an uphill challenge from there.
      “Patrick’s [Bamford] admitted after the event that the ball has hit his arm. You expect those decisions to go with you when it’s as clear as that.”
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